Artificial Trees 'Cleaning Up' Boston

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Designers Mario Caceres and Cristian Canonico have set out to design artificial trees that will scrub carbon dioxide out of the air of Boston. In nature, this process is performed by living trees, but the carbon dioxide load has become too heavy for nature to get things under control.

Zeitnews.org:

The TREEPOD systems are capable of removing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen using a carbon dioxide removal process called “humidity swing,”. In addition to their air-cleansing abilities, TREEPODS will also include solar energy panels and will harvest kinetic energy through an interactive seesaw that visitors can play with at the TREEPOD’s base. As passersby play on the seesaws they power displays that explain the TREEPODS’ de-carbonization process. Both the solar panels and the kinetic energy station will power the air filtration process, as well as interior lights.

No word on how long this process would take to be put into effect, or if these gorgeous CO2 fighters will ever actually hit the streets. This could very well be another case of a beautiful concept never making it to reality.